Just A Taste
Frank Sutherland's wine column for Thursday 3/27/03
Fresh albarino wines are creamy, complex
Wine column by FRANK SUTHERLAND
Gannett News Service
In Spain, it is called albarino.
In Portugal, it is called alvarinho.
Either way, this white wine can have a creamy texture that is very complex.
Albarino tends to be fresh and vibrant tasting, often with a spritzy taste in the mouth. Tasters compared it to a combination of sauvignon blanc and a very dry Riesling. The fruit tends to be peaches, apricot, melon and citrus.
This grape does not age well in the bottle. You should drink it within a couple of years.
I asked the wine-tasting group to compare two albarinos from Spain and one alvarinho from Portugal.
Here is what they found:
- 2001 Morgadio Albarino at $18.99. This wine had a nice nose, smelling lean (not as much fruit). In the aroma, we found grass, green melon and melon rinds. It had a lot of citrus on the finish. Tasters thought it should make a great spring luncheon wine. This wine ranked second in our tasting.
- 2001 Valminor Albarino at $15.99. This wine had a lot of bubbles in the glass. The aroma was floral with peaches and honeydew melon. In the mouth, it was tongue-tickling with its effervescence, but it was very dry. It was bright with a lingering finish. Tasters thought it would pair great with tuna salad. This wine was more complex than the others. It finished first in our tasting.
- 2001 Varanda do Conde Vino Verde (Alvarinho) at $10.99. This wine had a grassy aroma, with pleasant smells of wet hay and wet stones. It was fresh and vibrant. It was very dry and tart on the finish, with lots of lemon. The finish, though, was rather short.
Surfing the wine shelves
- 2001 Antonin Rodet Chablis at $14.99. The aroma was full of fresh citrus fruit and a hint of minerals. On the palate, we found grapefruit with some lemon on the crisp finish.
- 1999 Trapiche Malbec at $10. This wine smelled of blackberries and raspberries. Wood and vanilla joined the fruit flavors in the mouth. It had a luscious smoothness and a full body.
- 2000 Santa Julia Malbec Reserva at $10. Tart red cherries with hints of cedar and leather were noticeable in this wine's aroma. In the mouth, blackberry and other dark fruit tastes appeared. It also had strong tannins, which would make this wine a suitable companion to a robust cheese or a good steak.
Questions can be sent to Frank Sutherland, editor, The Tennessean, 1100 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203 or e-mailed to editor
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